{"id":7414,"date":"2013-06-09T08:54:26","date_gmt":"2013-06-09T12:54:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=7414"},"modified":"2013-06-09T17:06:56","modified_gmt":"2013-06-09T21:06:56","slug":"kennett-high-class-of-2013-looks-to-push-toward-greatness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=7414","title":{"rendered":"Kennett High Class of 2013 looks to push toward greatness"},"content":{"rendered":"

Commencement speakers emphasize leadership, doing good<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

By Kyle Carrozza<\/strong>, Staff Writer, The Times<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"IMGP1737\"<\/a>

Kennett High School members of the class of 2013 lineup to receive their diplomas, Saturday, during graduation.<\/p><\/div>\n

KENNETT SQUARE \u2013 In order to become a successful adult, the high school graduate must forge a place in society.<\/p>\n

During graduation \u2014 the school’s 122nd commencement ceremony \u2014 on Saturday, the Kennett High School Class of 2013 emphasized how realizing and creating opportunities in high school prepared them to continue that process later in life.<\/p>\n

On the steps of their now alma mater, graduates reminisced about their scholastic careers, about adjusting to the strange world of secondary education and how they now must adjust to college, careers, or whatever may follow.<\/p>\n

After the graduates walked out the doors of the place where they grew and learned to be surrounded by a sprawling crowd of family and friends, graduate Fiona A. Smith opened the proceedings by comparing the class families.<\/p>\n

Between bands, sports teams, or just groups of friends, everyone had a role. Their interactions with each other shaped them as individuals in a way that will continue to impact them beyond the day\u2019s ceremonies.<\/p>\n

\"Erin<\/a>

Erin Kraynie and Katherine Coughlan play a musical selection on flute while David Beech accompanies on piano.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cAs we move on, we\u2019ll always keep a piece of these families in our hearts,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Class President Carl O. Lowe Jr. emphasized this unity, making sure to stamp his class\u2019s identity onto his message.<\/p>\n

\u201cTogether, we are so fresh, so clean, the Class of 2013,\u201d he declared to the elation of his classmates.<\/p>\n

But Commencement Speaker Alexandra S. Brooks emphasized finding an identity was not just about joining the right club or becoming closer with friends. Their identities were shaped by world events, politics and recessions.<\/p>\n

Commencement Speaker Connor X. Roth told the story of his great-grandmother, who came to the US from Ireland to afford her posterity better prospects. These family stories also influence the graduate\u2019s efforts to find a place in the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cRegardless of how your ancestors arrived in America, they had the burning desire for a better future for their descendants,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"Principal<\/a>

Principal Michael A. Barber implores students to keep the big picture in mind as they progress through life.<\/p><\/div>\n

Commencement Speaker Krista R. Lafferty told her classmates that in order to be good members of society, they must first examine what \u2018good\u2019 means. Good is not just about income or grades but doing good deeds.<\/p>\n

Nupur B. Parikh, the final commencement speaker told his classmates that graduation was just another step in a journey they embarked on long ago. While politicians may be the famous names, leadership is a role that anyone can step into.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur guiding lights have been growing day by day since we started breathing,\u201d he said to them.<\/p>\n

Assistant Principal Raymond A. Fernandez felt this way, too. He emphasized the lessons that can still be learned from Dr. Suess, The Three Little Pigs, or Pinocchio.<\/p>\n

District Superintendent Dr. Barry W. Tomasetti listed the biggest events that took place during the graduates\u2019 time in school. He wanted to make sure that they understood the world they were entering and their place in it. More importantly, he made sure that they understood that the world will be constantly changing, as will their places in it.<\/p>\n

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School Board President Douglas B. Stirling presents a diploma to one of the new graduates.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cAre you ready?\u201d he challenged them. \u201cWill you adapt to the changing world?\u201d<\/p>\n

For a few moments, a light rain fell as the students received their diplomas. They walked across the steps that they walked across countless times before but never on such a momentous occasion.<\/p>\n

John T. Boyer Jr. from the Class of 1997 said that Kennett has prepared them, now they must assure that they go above and beyond. He read \u201cPretty Good\u201d, a poem by Charles Osgood and told the graduates that \u2018pretty good\u2019 is not good enough. As a fifth grade teacher in the district, he actually taught some of the students who were graduating. He encouraged them to change people\u2019s lives, as the district changed theirs and his.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a great job. I love what I do, and I owe it to my family here at Kennett,\u201d he acknowledged.<\/p>\n

Principal Michael A. Barber closed the ceremony, stressing that the Class of 2013 strive for greatness. He told them that he loved them, said they made the school a better place than when they came in. He wanted them to do the same for the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cI implore you to go forward with a greater good in mind, while being true to yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Commencement speakers emphasize leadership, doing good By Kyle Carrozza, Staff Writer, The Times KENNETT SQUARE \u2013 In order to become a successful adult, the high school graduate must forge a place in society. During graduation \u2014 the school’s 122nd commencement ceremony \u2014 on Saturday, the Kennett High School Class of 2013 emphasized how realizing and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":7418,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,4],"tags":[2614,80,79],"class_list":["post-7414","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-featured","tag-class-of-2013","tag-graduation","tag-kennett-high-school"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7414","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7414"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7414\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7418"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7414"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7414"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7414"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}